Starting Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Jerusalem’s light rail will be partially shut down for 14 weeks due to construction on the upcoming green line. While the city promises shuttle services and alternative routes, reality suggests something else entirely: delays, overcrowded buses, confusing detours, and a level of heat that no visitor expects when simply trying to get around
The city’s bus system is already packed. Shuttle information is vague. Mobile apps are not always up to date. For tourists – Israeli or foreign – the daily journey becomes a frustrating puzzle. And for many, Jerusalem in summer 2025 may no longer be a city worth navigating
When the rails stop, so does the experience
Around the world, public transportation isn’t just about movement – it shapes a tourist’s experience. In cities like Vienna or Zurich, the metro is part of the welcome. But in Jerusalem, the disruption feels like a wall: visitors can’t reach the heart of the city, and the city loses its connection to the people who came to see it
Because Jerusalem, above all, demands effort. It asks for patience, attention, and slow walking between layers of time and meaning. But when it blocks itself, when it prevents people from simply moving, it loses what makes it a destination. Tourists don’t expect perfection – just a way in. When that fails, the story they came for goes untold
